Method for dismantling secondary batteries



R. F. STEIN. IETHOD FOR DISMANTLING SECONDARY BATTERIES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 1919- Patenwd Nov. 9, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF! RUDOLPH r. s'rnm, or'mImIEAPoLIs, mxnnnsora,Assmuon'. 'ro UNITED STATES" onmmucn COMPANY, or WASHINGTON, ms'rnrcr orCOLUMBIA, A coneom- TION F VIRGINIA.

METHOD FOR DISMANTLING SECONDARY BATTERIES.

Application filed June 19,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. RUDOLPH F. STEIN. a citizen of the l'nited States.residing at Minneapolis. in the county of Hennepin. State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods forDismantling Secondary Batteries. of which the following is aspecification.

lily invention relates to an improved method for dismantling secondarybatteries in whole or in'part.

The removal of the jar covers or of the jar covers and jars of secondarybatteries presents a serious problem owing to the time necessary tinderpresent methods to effect the removal of the sealing compound which Isecures these elements of the battery within the usual casing and alsoowing to the uncle sirable conditions created by the odor arising underthe present practice of applying hotchisels to the sealing compound toeffect its removal.

' It is therefore the purpose of my present invention to provide animproved method for effecting the removal of the jar covers 01'' of thejar covers and jars which will ma terially reduce the time required inremoving the said elements of the battery.

, which will prevent injury to jar covers and 'practice operativelyassociated with a. plural cell secondary battery. the latter being shownin section;

Specification of Letters Patent.

' lifted Patented Nov. 9, 1920.-

1919. Serial No. 305,375.

10 havinga filling opening closed by a cap able length for the purposesintended; Each ot' the nozzles 12 is provided with a valve- 16 forcontrolling the flow of steam from the boiler which latter is supportedabove any suitable heating apparatus after being filled with the desiredquantity'of water.

- In this instanceI show the boiler supported upon an ordinary gas stove1T.

In the secondary battery illustrated 18 is the chsing of-the battery, 19the-jars,' 20 the positive and negative plates and separators containedin each jar, 21 the jar tops, 22 the ventopenings of the tops and 23'the sealing compound which secures the jars and tops in lace all as iswell known.

ssuming that it is desired toremove the tops 21 of the'jars19theclosures of the vent openings 22 arefirst removed and the pipes 15introduced through said 'vent openings. The necessary quantity of steam1 is then raised inthe boiler 10 and the valve 16- opened to deliver thesteam within the hub tery through the" pipes 15. The delivered steam isconfined within. the battery by means of burlap 2-l or other suitablepacking placed over thetop of the battery and around'the ends of thepipes 15 where the latter enter the vent. holes. The introduction ofsteam into thebatte'ry is continued for about ten minutes or untilsuchtime as the sealing compound 23 is heated suiticiently to renderthesame plastic. Vi'hen this,

status of the sealing compound, is bad the burlap 24 is removed. and thecompound subsequently removed with the aid bf a putty knife or othersuitable instrument.

When the removal oi the plastic compound is completedthe jar tops 21can'be easily away. By resorting tothomethod loo just described no odoris created and the removal of the jar tops is effected inabout one-halfthe time required when the use of hot chisels is depended upontoremovetho sealing compound If it is then desired to remove the jars 19it is only necessary to first remove theplates and separators fromwithin the jars and then repeat the operation just described until thesealing compound holding the jars is reduced to a plastic state when itis possible to wiih- 5 draw the jars with a pair of pincers or pliers oreven with the hand.

\Vhile I have described two separate operations for ettecting thecomplete dismantling of the battery it would be possible toIO-sufficiently heat the sealing compound in the first instance to sucha degree as would permit the removal of both the covers and the jars asa result of only a single heating of the sealing compound. However, Ihave found it somewhat preferable to carry out the method in the mannerpreviously described.

I claim 1- l. 'i he herein described method of removlog jar covers ofsecondary batteries which consists in heating the sealing compound to adegree to render the same substantially plastic by introducing steamwithin the jars. removing said sealing compound while plastie and thenremoving the jar covers.

troducing and confining steam within the jars to heat the jar holdingsealing compound to a degree to render the same substantially plasticand then manually withdrawing the jars while the consistency of thesealing compound remains plastic.

. 3. The herein described. method of removing jar covers of secondarybatteries which consists in inserting piping leading from a suitablesteam supply through the vent openings of the covers, discharging steamconveyed by said piping into the jars and confining the steam sointroduced to heat the sealing compound to a degree to render the sameplastic, removing the sealing compound while plastic, and then removingthe covers.

4. The herein described method of remov ing jar covers of seco larybatteries which consists in introducin gas within the jars at atemperature sufficient to render the sealing compound plastic, removingsaid sealing compound while plastic, and then removing the jar covers.

5. The herein described method of removing jar tops and jars 0tsecondary batteries which consists in introducing gas within the jarsat. a temperature sullicicnt to'rcnder the sealing compound plastic,removing the top holding sealing compound while plastic, removing thereleased tops and the plates from the jars, replacing the tops, againintroducing heated gas within the jars to render the jar holding sealingcompound plastic, and then manually withdrawing the jars while theconsistency of the sealing compound remains plastic.

in testimony whereof I atlix my signature in the presence oi twowitnesses.

RUDOLPH F. STEIN) itnesses Louis A. REED, ALBERT P. REED.

